1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to an equalizer device for a parking brake, and more specifically to a technique for reducing the production cost of an equalizer device including a synthetic resin member that prevents output members from being detached from an equalizer body.
2. Description of Related Art
There is a known equalizer device for a parking brake, in which paired engagement portions, with which paired output members coupled to brake devices of right and left wheels are respectively engaged, are formed so as to be symmetric with respect to an input portion. When a pulling force for actuating the parking brake is applied to the input portion, the equalizer device actuates the brake devices by pulling the paired output members in a state where the equalizer device is oscillable using the input portion as the axis of oscillation. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-207762 describes an example of such an equalizer device. This equalizer device includes an equalizer body formed by connecting paired side plates, which extend parallel to each other from a back plate so as to form a U-shape, and a synthetic resin member that is fixedly arranged inside the equalizer body. Elastic deformation of gate portions of the synthetic resin member allows the output members to be inserted into the equalizer body. On the other hand, after the gate portions return to their original form, the output members are prevented from being detached from the equalizer body.
In such a conventional equalizer device, flanges are formed on the back plate of the equalizer body. When stopper lugs of the synthetic resin member are elastically engaged with the flanges, the synthetic resin member is fitted to the equalizer body. Therefore, a bending work or the like for forming the flanges on the equalizer body is required, which increases the production cost accordingly.